As we’re all well aware, there are many levels to the candy haul kids bring home on Halloween night.

You have your first-tier candy, your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, your full-sized candy bars, etc.

Then you have your middle-tier treats — stuff that’s not your favorite but still good, like Smarties, mini-M&M packets and lollipops.

And then there’s the bottom of the barrel: the candy you keep pushing lower and lower in the bucket until it’s the only candy left.

We tried as much of that as we could find, but we made a surprising discovery: being a trick-or-treat cheapskate isn’t as easy as it used to be. We went with Bit-O-Honey, Charleston Chew, Jujyfruits — “You can’t get it out of your teeth, it’s really more of a job than a snack” — Tootsie Rolls, Dubble Bubble and Banana Laffy Taffy.

This special spooky-season taste test also features Tribune-Review writer Madasyn Lee and her pet Tyrannosaurus Rex!

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